Q: I've heard a lot about "supersets" in workouts. What are they and what are the benefits?

A: A superset is when you perform one exercise immediately followed by an exercise for the opposing muscle group with no rest in between.

Here are a few great reasons to include supersets in your workouts.

* Speed: The single greatest advantage of using supersets is that they are lightning fast. If you're looking to get in and out of the gym in a hurry, these can cut your workout time in half.

Simply perform a set of your first exercise as usual and then immediately perform an exercise for the opposing muscle group. Repeat this process for all muscle groups to be completed that day and you'll be on your way in no time.

* Shorter rest intervals: Another benefit of supersets is that they take advantage of the body's natural ability to shut down one muscle when the opposing muscle is contracting. Scientists call this "reciprocal inhibition," which is a fancy term for letting the muscle do what it is supposed to do.

For example, when performing a bicep curl, the tricep muscle completely relaxes to allow the bicep to do its job. Then when you switch to the tricep exercise, the bicep immediately shuts down to allow the tricep to contract.

The result is a complete relaxation and recovery of the muscle not being trained.

As a result, shorter rest times are needed between sets because the first muscle is actually starting to recover while you're performing the second exercise. By taking shorter rests you will be able to keep your heart rate up and burn more fat.

* Muscle balance: When most people train, they tend to place far too much emphasis on pushing movements such as bench pressing and squatting and not nearly enough focus on pulling movements such as rows and deadlifts.

As a consequence, many exercisers experience nagging joint pains from being imbalanced, and from inadequate strength on one side of the joint.

While this isn't necessarily serious, muscular imbalance promotes injury -- and when you're injured you can't train.

All you can do is sit on the sidelines waiting to heal while you watch your hard-earned workout results slip away.

Fortunately, the very nature of the superset ensures that you'll do both pushing and pulling movements for every exercise, which will lead to great results and complete muscle balance at the same time.

* The downside: If you're at a busy gym during peak hours, other members might become upset if you're occupying two pieces of equipment at once. This can make supersets difficult to achieve.

In this case, you may have to forgo your superset for that day or find dumbbell variations of the exercise that don't interfere with the training of others.

All things considered, supersets are a great addition if you're pressed for time or just looking for a way to spice up your routine.

Mark Young has a bachelor degree in kinesiology from McMaster University and is co-owner of Nutrex Solutions Private Personal Training in Hamilton.

1A Seated cable row: Targets mid-back muscles

Sit on a row bench and grasp the handle. Sitting tall, row the handle toward the base of the sternum. Keep the chin and chest up and focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together. Lower slowly to the starting position and repeat for eight to 10 reps.

1B Bench press: Targets chest muscles

Firmly plant the feet on the floor and lie back on the bench so that your eyes line up directly below the bar. Grasp the bar with the hands about six inches wider than shoulder width. Squeeze the shoulder blades together to get a strong starting position. Lift the bar off the hooks and lower to the base of the sternum. Push back to the starting position and repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

2A Wide grip lat pulldown: Targets outer back muscles

Toning the targeted muscles gives the illusion of a smaller waist. Sit on the seat and adjust the knee pad to the appropriate height so that it rests securely against your legs. Grab the bar about where it bends and pull it down toward your collar bone. It is important here to keep the elbows forward slightly in order to emphasize the correct muscles. Raise slowly to the starting position and repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

2B Dumbbell shoulder press: Targets shoulder muscles

Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand positioned beside the shoulders. Make sure the palms are facing forward. Push the dumbbells overhead and then return slowly to the starting position. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

3A Stiff-legged deadlift: Targets glutes and hamstrings

Stand upright with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. While keeping the back totally straight, push the hips backward until they can go no further. You should feel a stretch down the backs of both legs. Pause briefly and stand up by contracting the glutes and bringing the hips forward. Don't be tempted to go further into the stretch by rounding the back because this can cause injuries. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

3B Squat: Targets legs and glutes

Step under the bar and grasp it about six inches wider than shoulder width. Squeeze the shoulder blades together to create a shelf on which to rest the bar. With the bar rested across the upper back, step into the centre of the rack and place the feet a little further apart than shoulder width. Squat down as far as possible and then return to the starting position. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

4A Lying leg curl: Targets upper hamstrings

Lie face down on the leg curl bench and place the ankles beneath the pad. Curl the heels toward the butt as far as possible and then lower to the starting position. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

4B Leg extension: Targets upper-leg quadriceps

Sit on the leg extension machine and place the ankles beneath the pad. Raise the legs outward to full extension and then slowly lower to the starting position. Repeat for 8 to 10 repetitions.

5A Barbell curl:

Targets bicep muscles

While standing, hold on to a bar with the palms facing outward. By bending the elbows, curl the weight all the way up and then lower under control to the start position. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.

5B Lying tricep extension:

Targets upper-arm triceps

Lie on a bench on your back while holding a bar with straight arms just above eye level. While keeping the rest of the arm still, lower the bar slowly to the hairline and then lift back to full extension. Make sure your elbows do not point out to the sides. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions.